Rear axle of a chassis for a toy vehicle

ABSTRACT

This rear axle of a chassis is suitable for installation in a toy vehicle which is operated as a track-guided vehicle on a raceway. The chassis has a front and rear axles and a guide wedge which is movable about a vertical pivot axle to cooperate with a groove on the track in the front area. The rear axle is driven by an electric motor, with the rear axle and the electric motor together forming a module. To optimize the driving properties of the toy vehicle, the module of the toy vehicle is held in position on a receptacle section of the chassis with the mediation of a guide arm-spring system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Our Ref. No. 028987.57318US) filed in Jan. 20, 2006, based on German Application No. 10 2005 002 882.9 filed in Germany on Jan. 21, 2005 and to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Our Ref No. 028987.57317US) filed on Jan. 20, 2006, based on German Application No. 10 2005 002 612.5 filed in Germany on Jan. 20, 2005.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rear axle of a chassis for a toy vehicle operated as a track-guided raceway vehicle having a front axle and a guide wedge movable about a vertical pivot axle to cooperate with a track groove at a chassis front area, the rear axle being driven by an electric motor which together form a module.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,126 shows a model toy vehicle having a chassis with a front axle and a rear axle. The rear axle and a drive motor, which is behind the rear axle as seen in the travel direction, are positioned on a platform which is mounted on a pivot block in a rear area and is supported on perpendicular springs in a front area such that the platform executes relative movements against the action of the springs in driving operation via the pivot block.

Unpublished German Patent Application DE 10 2004 011 934.1 discloses a track-guided toy vehicle having a chassis with a front axle and a rear axle. A guide wedge mounted on the front axle is rotatable about a pivot axle running perpendicular to the chassis and cooperates with a groove in a track for the vehicle. The toy vehicle is driven by an electric motor which is installed in the chassis adjacent to the rear axle but between the front axle and rear axle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chassis for a track-guided toy vehicle that is optimized with regard to speed and steering properties by simple design measures.

According to the invention, this object has been achieved by providing that the module of the toy vehicle is held in position on a receptacle section of the chassis with the mediation of a guide arm-spring system.

Main advantages achieved through the present invention include the control arm-spring system that can be converted between module and receptacle section of the chassis with justifiable means and contributes towards increasing the controllable turning speed with the vehicle equipped in this way and making drifting in turning more easily controllable. In other words, the control arm-spring system produces a stabilization due to toe-in steering of the rear axle and also reduces the oversteering tendency of the toy vehicle and/or yields improved driving properties of the toy vehicle. The guide arms and the spring arms are simple parts in design which can be integrated into the area between the module and the receptacle section with no problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view from above a rear chassis axle of a chassis for a toy vehicle according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the toy vehicle shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to that in FIG. 1 but showing spring functions of the rear axle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A toy vehicle 1 is shown for track-guided operation on a raceway 2 consisting of assembled sections of track. The vehicle 1 has a chassis 5 supported by a front axle 3 and a rear axle 4. A guide wedge 7 provided in the front area 6 of the chassis 5 cooperates with a groove 8 in the track 2 and can be moved about a vertical pivot axle 9. The guide wedge 7 can be mounted on a pivot arm which is connected in an articulated joint to pivot bearings running across the longitudinal direction A-A of the vehicle and can be equipped with current-consumers that cooperate with track 6. An electric motor 10 for driving the toy vehicle is installed in the chassis 5 between the front axle 3 and the rear axle 4 adjacent to the latter. Electric motor 10 and rear axle 4 are combined to form a module designated generally by numeral 12 via a gear transmission 11, with the electric motor 10 that is connected to the current-consumers, its drive shaft 13 aligned across the longitudinal direction A-A of the vehicle.

Module 12 of the toy vehicle 1 is held in position on a receptacle section 15 of the chassis 5 with the participation of a control arm-spring system 14. The control arm-spring system 14 consists of at least one guide arm 16 and a spring arm 17, with another spring arm 18 also being provided in the illustrated embodiment. The two spring arms 17, 18 are arranged on both sides of the central longitudinal plane B-B of the toy vehicle 1, whereas the guide arm 16 extends in the central longitudinal plane B-B. The guide arm 16 is mounted on the module 12 and/or on the receptacle section 15 of the chassis with the assistance of articulated joints 19, 20, (e.g., articulated film joints). In contrast with that, spring arms 17, 18 are fixedly clamped on both the module 12 and on the receptacle section 15. In addition, the guide arms 16 and spring arms 17 and 18 are connected to upright bearing sections 21, 22 of the module 12 and/or the receptacle section 15, with the guide arms 16 and the spring arms 17, 18 running on both sides of a roll axle 23 as seen in a side view of the toy vehicle 1, with the roll axle 23 rising from the guide wedge 7 in the direction opposite the travel direction. The spring arms 17, 18 are arranged here below the roll axle 23 and the guide arm 16 is arranged above the roll axle.

FIG. 3 shows the action mechanism of the guide arm-spring system 14, namely in driving the toy vehicle 1 through, for example, a right-hand curve Rk where a lateral force Lksk is acting on guide wedge 7 from the left to right side of the vehicle and a lateral force Vask directed in the same direction is acting on the front axle 3. At the same time, a centrifugal force Fk emanating from the center of gravity Sp of the toy vehicle 1 is attempting to displace toy vehicle 1 toward the outside of the curve. Under this influence, a lateral force Hask which is also acting from the left side of the vehicle to the right side of the vehicle is acting on the rear axle 4, with the guide arm 16 transmitting the lateral force Hask and the rear axle 4 acting by elastic rebound with a right wheel 24 via the spring arms 17, 18 and by spring deflection with a left wheel 25.

The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

1. Chassis rear axle arrangement for a toy vehicle operated as a track-guided raceway vehicle having a front axle and a guide wedge movable about a vertical pivot axle cooperates with a track groove at a chassis front area, the rear axle driven by an electric motor which together form a module wherein the module is held in position on a receptacle section of the chassis via a guide arm-spring system.
 2. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide arm spring system comprises at least one guide arm and at least one spring arm.
 3. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide arm is arranged to extend between the module and the receptacle section in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in a central longitudinal plane.
 4. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the guide arm spring system comprises at least one guide arm and at least one spring arm.
 5. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the guide arm is mounted on the module and the receptacle section of articulated joints.
 6. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 5, wherein the articulated joints are film joints.
 7. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the guide arm-spring system comprises two spring arms on sides of a central longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
 8. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 7, wherein the guide arm is arranged to extend between the module and the receptacle section in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in a central longitudinal plane.
 9. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one guide arm and at least one spring arm are connected to at least one of upright bearing sections of the module and the receptacle section.
 10. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one guide arm and the at least one spring arm are arranged on sides of a roll axle viewed from a side of the toy vehicle, said roll axle rising from bottom to top against a travel direction of the toy vehicle.
 11. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 10, the at least one guide arm is situated above the roll axle, and the at least one spring arm is situated beneath the roll axle. 